What are the best wellness programs for your employees?

One of the biggest problems facing companies that want to implement wellness programs for their employees is that they may not have the budget for it. The people in charge of making these decisions may feel that the money is better spent elsewhere. This is a short-sighted view, since one of the factors in the long-term success of a company is having employees that are happy and healthy… and thus are not likely to leave and make for a revolving door of having to constantly hire and train new people only to see them leave fairly soon after. A company can rapidly maximize both quality and volume of work from employees by understanding basic principles that work.

There are some things that you can do to incentivize your wellness program and they won’t hurt your budget. Here are five of them:

1. Merchandise: This could be a two-way winner for you. If you give employees merchandise that they can actually use and have it branded with the company logo. This can instill loyalty and if they really like it and use it a lot at the office, they can work harder for you. A little extra money can go a long way.
2. Partnerships:  All you may have to do here, especially if you work in a busy section of a city like New York, is look around a couple of blocks. There may be businesses like gyms or movie theaters that can offer discounts for those who do join the wellness program. What employee wouldn’t like to pay less for a movie night with their family? Everyone loves saving money, after all
3. Recognition: For many workers, being acknowledged for doing something well or for being a team player is very important. You can devise ways to recognize your employees who do the Wellness program by giving them a certificate, a Starbucks card or some other valued item in recognition of their contribution.
4. Prizes: This one might sting the budget just a bit since you would have to pay for these, but the rewards can be well worth it when it comes to employee engagement and productivity. Make these nice prizes too. It’s hard for someone to get enthusiastic about winning a pen with the company logo on it.
5. Exercise: This is another possible dual winner for you, since exercise has been shown to sharpen people’s minds and concentration. You’ll have healthy employees who are extremely productive. Just start a group exercise program that suits a lot of people.

Corporate Wellness Solutions can help you customize the best wellness programs for your employees.